Ding Dong The Witch Is Dead ... and so is Decorum?

In the UK there has been a good deal of musical protest recently.

After the arrest of an 83 year old Australian-born entertainer that British law does not allow the police to name, the Rolf Harris song Tie Me Kangaroo Down Sport received a flurry of purchases. In a similar vein, after the death of Baroness Thatcher there was an orchestrated campaign to make Judy Garland's Ding Dong The Witch Is Dead the number one selling song so that the BBC would be forced to play it on the day of the former Prime Minister's funeral.

The BBC played a seven second excerpt from the song after broadcasting an editorial comment on its regularly scheduled music show.

It should perhaps be remembered that during the Falklands War, the BBC never mentioned "our troops" or "enemy troops" but was careful to maintain a neutral reference to British Troops and Argentine Troops. This caused supporters of Margaret Thatcher to refer to the BBC as "stateless". There was also considerable anger of the BBC's broadcast of the phrase "If British Troops are to be believed" though war correspondents were never welcomed in the Falklands War and all news was highly censored.

The song of great mourning.

I've not heard there being a super-injunction protect a certain Australians name in the British Press. The press is less keen to name names these days. Well sometimes, at least.

So far, its only an arrest of the 83 year old Rolf Harris in connection with the police investigation resulting from the Jimmy Savile Pedophile phenomenon. He has not been charged and therefore British police can not name him, though clearly the sales of the song and comments at London's Down Under Club show the matter is of great public interest. Even if later charged, that is only an accusation, it is not evidence.

Wikipedia decided to lock the biography page of Rolf Harris, AO OBE. For the moment, that may be sufficient. Its a novelty song. I enjoyed it when it hit the charts. I felt no anguish over the famed fourth stanza lyrics. I don't see why the press refused to name him since the press has already forced him to flee the Berkshires and take shelter in the relative anonymity of Mayfair.

Sex crimes are strange. Sex crime allegations tend to be even more strange. Recently the Toronto police circulated a complaint by a nineteen year old male that four black-clad females had sexually attacked him in a nightclub parking lot. The Jimmy Savile project in the UK has uncovered several hundred complaints ranging from improper touching to outright rape. Some of the cases would be very weak, many appear to be quite strong, but virtually all are post-mortem.

Jimmy being exposed as a dirty kiddie toucher was surprising but not shocking. The accusation against Rolf would create greater waves if found to be true. He's much more in the national treasure category... Jimmy's star faded in the early 90's.

Quote: TheCesspit

... Jimmy's star faded in the early 90's.

He doesn't think so. He even commented that he first played a Vancouver, Canada club as a result of a travel agent's mistake. His one week gig in Vancouver went so well he was held over for 31 weeks. He commented that once acquitted of any charges and having his passport returned to him, he'll play Vancouver again before returning to the Berkshires.

The rage at Margaret Thatcher that is reflected in the sales of Ding Dong The Witch Is Dead is surprizing however. I know the miners still hated her but didn't know that others still did also. The BBC repeatedly used an old photo of Margaret Thatcher next to UK's most prolific sex-criminal, Jimmy Savile, during their review of Margaret Thatcher's life.

Quote: Fleastiff

He doesn't think so. He even commented that he first played a Vancouver, Canada club as a result of a travel agent's mistake. His one week gig in Vancouver went so well he was held over for 31 weeks. He commented that once acquitted of any charges and having his passport returned to him, he'll play Vancouver again before returning to the Berkshires.

Huh? Jimmy Saville is dead.

I assume you mean -Berkshire- (UK) not the Berkshires (US)?

Quote:

The rage at Margaret Thatcher that is reflected in the sales of Ding Dong The Witch Is Dead is surprizing however. I know the miners still hated her but didn't know that others still did also. The BBC repeatedly used an old photo of Margaret Thatcher next to UK's most prolific sex-criminal, Jimmy Savile, during their review of Margaret Thatcher's life.

Thatcher was a hugely divisive leader, her treatment of the unions was hugely unpopular in the North. few of her acts of parliament are actually still in force today. Many people see her as a symbol of the old, reactionary Conservative party, the old, blue rinsed farts dreaming of a little England that never existed.

I have no idea why these people are also living in the past. Many would contend that her breaking the power of the Unions was needed and necessary in the UK.

Quote: TheCesspit

Huh? Jimmy Saville is dead.

Sorry, I thought you had said Rolf's star had dimmed.
Jimmy Savile is dead; Rolf Harris is the one who played 31 weeks in a Vancouver club when he arrived there due to a travel agent's error.

Quote: Fleastiff

Sorry, I thought you had said Rolf's star had dimmed.
Jimmy Savile is dead; Rolf Harris is the one who played 31 weeks in a Vancouver club when he arrived there due to a travel agent's error.

Indeed, Rolf's been around for years, hugely popular presenter and performer. He played at my university and brought the house down in the 90's and still is a favourite for many. Rolf's Cartoon Club made many kids day and inspired several people at my high school to do their own animations.

It may well be that Rolf Harris merely got caught up in hysteria.

It seems however that Jimmy Saville had weird sexual interests and that people in several walks of life were aware of it or should have been aware of it.

Whether the police actually ran interference for him remains to be proven.

He clearly had unusual access to patients at hospitals and inmates at disciplinary schools.

He clearly was observed in suspicious circumstances many times but observers appear to have felt complaints would be futile.

Had police ever arranged for surveillance and cameras its clear Savile could have been stopped.